Five players have been dropped by Harambee Stars coach Benni McCarthy ahead of their trip to Tanzania to take on their East African neighbours in the 2025 edition of the CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup.

Ulinzi Stars' Staphod Odhiambo and Yakeen Muteheli, Shabana’s Keith Imbali, AFC Leopards’ Kelly Madada, and Tusker’s Brian Opondo have all been dropped ahead of the trip to Tanzania where they Stars will take on their Tanzanian, Ugandan and Congo colleagues in the round robin competition.

Kenya Police midfielder Eugene Nabwire has been called up as a result. He was a standout performer in a friendly match between a Kariobangi Select side and The Harambee Stars .

"Players that can give something are welcome to the team. We are working with the best talents we can find. The players we have selected, we chose carefully, McCarthy said of changes to the squad.

Harambee Stars are scheduled to depart for Tanzania on Saturday, 19 July, for the CECAFA Four Nations Tournament, where they will take on Uganda, Congo Brazzaville, and hosts Tanzania as part of preparations for the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN).

Auka Gecheo, the Executive Director of the Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA) explains that the tournament will be a warm-up ahead of the CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN).

“The primary objective of this competition is to offer our Zonal teams a valuable platform to prepare adequately ahead of the African Nations Championship (CHAN) scheduled for August 2025,” added Gecheo.

Sudan, another CECAFA team that will feature in the CHAN tournament requested to skip the event to concentrate on the local League which kicked off recently.

The mini-tournament will see every team play three matches on a round robin format and the team with more points will emerge winners.

Harambee Stars will open their campaign against Uganda Cranes, while Tanzania face Congo Brazzaville on the same day July 21st. Match Day 2 will see Congo Brazzaville take on Uganda, while Tanzania battle Kenya on July 24th.

Uganda and Sudan open proceedings in the early kick-off on Thursday, July 24, before Kenya’s Harambee Stars face a fiery test against Tanzania later that afternoon.

The four teams will all field teams composed of home based players as they prepare for the CHAN tournament to be co-hosted by Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania between August 2-30th.

Fixtures

July 21

Kenya vs Uganda

Tanzania vs Congo Brazzaville

July 24

Congo Brazzaville vs Uganda

Tanzania vs Kenya

July 27

Kenya vs Congo Brazzaville

Uganda vs Tanzania